


Living Lost

by Ascalsky



Category: Furry (Fandom)
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Drama & Romance, F/M, Genocide, Intrigue, M/M, Multi, Political Alliances, Political Campaigns, Romance, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-18 15:49:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21513493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ascalsky/pseuds/Ascalsky
Summary: This is still work-in-progress, and it is my first time using AO3 rather than Wattpad. I mostly do this late at night and in between the free time which I carved out for myself thus, expect some incoherence which may or may not be fixed. Furthermore, there are still aspects of my lore that are still unfinished, and I do hope to finish. Unfortunately, finishing them might conflict with what is already in the story. Since I find this more of a draft, I will probably reconcile those differences, and bring the story to become more cohesive.I am no political expert, nor do I wish to be. This is simply a story, and any portrayal that may or may not reflect the situations of the real world are unintentional. Still, I find it difficult to balance a story wherein the lives of the characters revolve around politics. Take Prinz Johann, for example, and his desires to find a fruitful personal life, and the political desire to make himself known; or La'atset, who wishes to free his people from an oppressive yoke. It is a story of how inescapable politics can be because politics is found everywhere in society.I tend to use names from the real world because who knew that making names is difficult, at least for me. I am not an expert in formulating names of places that are exceptional to the ear, nor am I creative enough to try and make my own. Then again, I still haven't finished the conlangs I needed for this story.
Kudos: 1





	1. Stupidity and Bravery

**Author's Note:**

> This is still work-in-progress, and it is my first time using AO3 rather than Wattpad. I mostly do this late at night and in between the free time which I carved out for myself thus, expect some incoherence which may or may not be fixed. Furthermore, there are still aspects of my lore that are still unfinished, and I do hope to finish. Unfortunately, finishing them might conflict with what is already in the story. Since I find this more of a draft, I will probably reconcile those differences, and bring the story to become more cohesive.
> 
> I am no political expert, nor do I wish to be. This is simply a story, and any portrayal that may or may not reflect the situations of the real world are unintentional. Still, I find it difficult to balance a story wherein the lives of the characters revolve around politics. Take Prinz Johann, for example, and his desires to find a fruitful personal life, and the political desire to make himself known; or La'atset, who wishes to free his people from an oppressive yoke. It is a story of how inescapable politics can be because politics is found everywhere in society.
> 
> I tend to use names from the real world because who knew that making names is difficult, at least for me. I am not an expert in formulating names of places that are exceptional to the ear, nor am I creative enough to try and make my own. Then again, I still haven't finished the conlangs I needed for this story.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johann, Prince of Baden, and La’atset, a former chieftain, aired their grievances with each other and managed to get into the forest.

He stood idly at the shore with his eyes closed and his hands behind his back. He savoured every moment of it as if he was liberated from the trappings of this new society. He reminisced upon his youth when he lived side-by-side with nature and only nature. It was his rite of passage that he remembered the most, the scent of blood and the rush of adrenalin throughout his veins.

He smiled as he fondly remembered the teachings of his father in hunting which then bore fruit as he succeeded in all the trials and tribulations put forth by the elder. There was a great expectation for him as he was the eldest son of the chief, and he did not disappoint; for he hunted the largest game for his tribe.

He then felt a tug on the tail of his coat, apparel extremely foreign to him as he was used to being liberated of such restrictions. He turned his head behind and saw the prince who smiled at him before he stepped over to his side. ‘I hope you are well,’ said the prince to the lion. ‘For these past few days, I have been enamoured by these wondrous sights.’

‘Yes, this land by the end is beautiful. It has a temperament more suitable for everyone... few can withstand the harsh cold,’ the lion added quite monotonously. He cared little about the prince, and he served him out of necessity. ‘Is it cold in... what do you call your land... Germany?’ he felt the need to engage in pointless banter with the prince for him to stay in his good graces.

‘Yes, it can get quite cold,’ the prince stared out into the distance and watched the setting sun. ‘From where I am from, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. You have it opposite here.’

‘So, the myths were true then.’

‘What makes you say that? I do not believe in mythologies but they are a sight to behold,’ the prince looked at the lion with great curiosity. The lion mentally rolled his eyes and looked at the prince with mild contempt.

‘The gods created worlds unique and far away from mine. Look where that ended, you Soviets have won and this virgin land is for yours to exploit and grasp; but know this, foreigner, I shall not let your people trample upon mine as if we were mere grass on sprawling fields. We have our way of life and I want you to keep it that way.’

The prince chuckled and placed his hand on the lion. ‘My, my... aren’t you a feisty one?’ he said in between chuckles. The prince looked amused at him that he turned back to the direction of the palace. ‘I haven’t done anything yet, best to reserve that when the time comes else, I forget it,’ the prince walked away for a bit before he turned around and looked the lion in the eye. ‘I am not threatening you nor do I wish to threaten your people. I only seek to find the right balance between industrialisation, and eventual modernisation, and your people’s traditions. It is in my best interests, after all, to see that races such as yours be assimilated and be taken under the Soviet’s wings; but I shall serve as the mediator, arbitrator and protector of such unfortunate species, for everyone deserves his rights.’

The lion grunted and turned to the prince. He closed the distance between themselves quite aggressively. ‘We are not unfortunate,’ he breathed to the prince, placing his face in a distance so close that one could be easily intimidated. ‘We have been here for thousands of years and we have our own culture. We can watch out for our backs without your help, alien technologies, foreign governances nor you,’ the lion scoffed at the prince. He stomped his way to the gardens which pushed the young prince to the side.

The prince recollected himself and walked behind the lion. ‘Pardon me for being patronising towards you and your people,’ he said softly but the lion looked not. After a few paces, the prince caught up with the lion and pulled him by the scabbard. ‘I meant no harm in my words but I am concerned – for myself, for you and your people.’

‘We do not need your concern,’ he dismissed nonchalantly.

‘You refuse to see that we are in the same situation.’

‘No, we are not.’

‘You see, my people are in the same situation such as yours. I find myself lucky that I was liberated from such a terrible fate of oppression by becoming Military Governor. I wish not to enact such extreme and unnecessary measures on your people so that I repeat not the mistakes which my forefathers through common responsibility have done.’

‘What are you going on about?’ the lion snickered and snarled at the prince. He gave a toxic glance to the prince who just sighed and looked. His face gave the message that it was neither through the prince’s mistake nor his that they were both in the same situation.

‘How much do you value family?’

The lion grunted and looked. ‘I value them greatly, Soviet. I don’t think you will be able to comprehend how much I value them. However, I lost them...’ he turned to the prince and snarled once again. ‘Because of you!’

‘I have no responsibility in that matter for I have done nothing. I spoke with some of your comrades and they have told me that you lost your family in the Conquest of the Miredondan Plain... that was five years ago!’ the prince gazed at the lion and made eye contact before the lion hastily avoided his eyes and looked at the other direction. ‘I was only here a year ago, for my brother chose me to lead a division for reasons I know nothing about. La’atset, this is the two-thousand-fifty-first year!’

The lion headed inside the garden and the prince followed him. They both went past the flowerbeds, the marble statues, the trimmed and well-kept hedges and went to the overgrown and forested area of the estate. The lights which lit the area well gave way to darkness and the very little natural light the planet’s moon reflected onto them. They were both silent as they wanted to diffuse the tension between themselves and agitate no more.

‘Are you seriously following me?’ the lion said quite annoyed, however, the anger and fury in his tone were no more.

‘I cannot bring myself to leave a person whom I have wronged.’

The lion sighed and rolled his eyes. ‘Goodness, you are so... clingy.’

The prince nodded. ‘It is what I am, I cannot leave without you feeling better about earlier. I wish to end not on a sour note but I wish to end amicably.’

‘I am fine, better?’

The prince shook his head and walked to the stream where the moonlight penetrated through the canopy. He stopped following the lion however, he saw the lion by the stream. He sat down and looked at the water, reminiscing. The prince slowly walked towards him and to his side. ‘I am sorry for earlier; I did not mean to agitate you.’

‘I said, it is fine. It was partly my fault because I have been frustrated with lots of things. I request your understanding for I lost my family, my home, my country and my honour in these few short moments,’ he then placed his head between his legs. ‘The gods have forsaken me!’

‘The gods have not forsaken you. They just... have a different plan for you,’ the prince placed a hand on his shoulder and comforted him. Moments earlier it was if they were sworn enemies but now, despair. ‘I should tell you about my fate...’

The lion looked up and at the prince. He nods in affirmation quite eagerly.

‘So, I hadn’t seen my mother most of my life... I lived far away from my namesake and with my numerous cousins far more important than I am. I lived with the main branch of the family, so to speak, and I got close with my cousin – Friedrich Wilhelm, who is now the Duke of Brandenburg,’ the prince then began to play with the water in the stream. ‘My cousins helped me greatly, it is where I learnt of our plight but when I was enlisted into the army, there I got to know my brother better. However, I had seen that we shared nothing in common. He was unlike I was – supportive of German self-determination and such... but he... he was too engrossed in his martial side that he had abandoned his birth-right.’

‘And then?’

‘Well, when my service had ended, I was able to return home to Stuttgart and spend time with my mother more often. I was absurdly glad that we have similar interests and there I learnt our family’s history. It was a history of oppression and evasion. We had to evade the ire of the authorities and they destroyed records they kept of their connection with the Filipino branch of the family. Knowledge was then transferred through oral traditions and stuff... but what happened to them I do not know. I know only that they had disappeared after their defeat at the Soviet-Philippine War,’ he then looked at the lion and gave a weak smile. ‘Will you, if it pains you not, to tell me of yours? I wish to hear your story.’

The lion sighed and nodded. ‘If you wish so...’

‘I do wish so.’

‘Where shall we start? Hmm...’ he looked around and stood up. ‘Hold on, let’s make ourselves comfortable,’ he went to the area of the stream where there was a tree behind. He sat down and rested himself upon its massive trunk. The prince then followed him and did the same. ‘I guess we can start how I got my family?’

The prince nodded at the lion’s suggestion. ‘That would be a fair start, to be honest. I would love to hear about it – how you got your family,’ the prince said with the curiosity of a child.

‘Well... I was married to the most beautiful woman I know. It was pre-destined for me, as the elder had arranged it before I gained awareness. She was exceptional, and from a tribe close to mine. With her, I had five sons and seven daughters... I don’t know where they are now... I said I lost them.’

The prince shifted his position and made himself comfortable.

‘You know I am a warrior, right?’

‘Yes, I heard you were an excellent one.’

‘So, I went to different places, different scenes and lands in war. We campaign for resources and we take what we can whether food, materials... or women. Then after campaign season ends, we go home. I became renowned for my skills in battle and, my tattoos and my scars are what I wear for my honour,’ he unbuttons his coat and his undergarment to expose his muscular and well-toned chest full of the iconic blue tattoos that remind the prince of the Celts. In addition to tattoos, it was full of scars that were once cuts, or deep wounds.

The prince resisted the temptation to touch his chest, no matter how enticing it may seem. He looked on with awe and infatuation and shifted his gaze to the lion’s face. He had grown a mane and had a scar that went through his left eyebrow and eyelid. ‘These look remarkable!’ he remarked and expressed his awe while suppressing his infatuation. ‘I have none to brag,’ he laughed and looked down to his thumbs.

‘I guess your people aren’t fond of war?’ he inquired and looked at the prince’s arm. ‘Your arms are too thin and probably, too weak to hold a sword.’

‘Not necessarily. I held a sword before – a sabre. I play sports.’

‘Sports?’

‘Something that one does for exercise, for leisure or competition. Have you heard of fencing before?’ the prince raised an eyebrow. ‘It is a fun sport to play when you get the hang of it.’

‘Still, have you held a sword in battle?’ The lion asked the prince, and he answered by shaking his head. ‘Knew it. You need to have the strength, dexterity and, agility to hold a sword decently.’ 

‘We do not need swords... modern warfare has abandoned the sword and shield. War is no longer a question of strength, but it is a question of the most powerful guns and the most cunning operatives. Your sword will win no wars nor settle no disputes if your enemy has the might of gunpowder. Speaking of guns, let me show you something...’ he then shuffled, searching for a pocket among the many pockets within his garments. Finally, he found what he was looking for.

It was a handgun, a pistol, which was passed down from his father and his father before him. It fitted snugly in his hand and he held it comfortably. ‘Honestly, if you intend on killing someone, kill him with a gun. It is probably cleaner than beheading them with a sword.’

‘These dishonourable weapons...’ the lion muttered before being sharply interrupted by the prince.

‘Enough of these talks of honour!’ he furiously reprimanded the lion. ‘I know it is hard to dispose of honour and integrity, but one must do so when it is needed. The honourable survive but the unscrupulous thrive. This is why, and I have no intention of hurting your pride nor do I have intention on looking down upon your kind... this is why you were defeated repeatedly. Never bring a knife into a gunfight!’

‘Shame on you! The gods look down upon this transgression... it is a breach of the warriors’ code.’

‘The warriors’ code be damned! A sword can kill men, a stone may break walls, but a bomb can level entire mountains and cities. I tell you this, not because I seek to gain superiority over you, but because I wish for you to fight on equal terms. I know how the soul feels if it lost an unequal battle if it was humiliated. I have been there...’

He sighed and looked at the prince. ‘Should I continue my life-story?’ he asked, wishing to return to the original topic instead of having the prince speak incessantly. The prince nodded in approval and he remained silent, waiting eagerly for the story to resume. ‘So, I continued my life being a warrior. It was that fateful time when I went out on campaign that I stumbled upon the first odd-looking settlement. I have seen nothing like it! It was... full of tall and rectangular structures and made of some sort of reflective materials. It was full of light that I first thought it was on fire.’

‘You have finally seen a Soviet settlement,’ the prince remarked nonchalantly.

The lion nodded and continued, ‘It had no walls and there were roads made from some sort of black stone. I wondered what the lines were for but now...’ he chuckled for a moment as he reminisced before he continued telling the story. ‘You people have contraptions that go quickly and with a deep, rumbling sound.’

‘You mean automobiles? Yes, we have those. It is often seen as a status symbol, not just a necessity...’ the prince then looked at the lion. ‘You are from Sardenia, right?’ the lion nodded and the prince continued. ‘Yes, with the automobile, assuming there are roads, we can traverse the distance from here to there in around... five or seven hours.’

‘That quickly?’

‘Well yes, but we can go faster. Unfortunately, that would probably be illegal considering the colonial government passed a mandatory speed limit of one-hundred-twenty kilometres per hour. This is unlike the Autobahnen where the speed limit is practically nothing most of the segments.’

‘How long then?’

‘Two to three hours? I am not sure. I have not tried yet,’ the prince then laughed. He then cupped his hands to take water from the stream and he washed his hands and face. The prince then stood up and walked towards the stream. He looked up as the canopy had thinned and he was able to see the sky. ‘It is dark now, and we should return.’

‘I’ll stay here for quite a while.’

‘There are animals who are feral and possess voracious appetite in the flesh of men. Let us head back, for it has gone completely dark. I trust you know the way,’ the prince said quite nervously, not wanting to get lost in the wilderness, even if it is in his estate.

‘You’re heading alone or you’re coming with me?’

‘I am coming with you.’

‘Then sit down and let us stay here for a few more moments,’ the lion said sternly. He closed his eyes and listened to the silence of the night. The wind rustled the trees now and then, and something falls into the stream, but it was calming and relaxing. The prince was forced to sit down with the lion’s terms. ‘What do they call you?’

‘Me?’ the prince placed his hand on his chest.

‘Yes, how are you called by your family or friends?’

‘Johann, Ascal, or Ludwig.’

‘Your kind have very long names. You don’t have to have a long name. You just need one or two and be done with it!’

‘You mean my full name? I was not named randomly, Lerjehor. It was the culmination of centuries of cultural evolution that resulted in how I am named – Johann Ascal Ludwig Balagtas Ascalsky von Preußen und zu Baden. Particularly, I am from the nobility and the same stock as I wish that they are separated from the names of the commons.’

‘Still, it is unnecessarily long. I don’t care if you are from what you call... the nobility or from the commons. What matters the most is what I call you or address you as.’

‘Then you must address me properly. The improper addressing of superiors was seen as an insult at best, and an egregious crime at worst. Be thankful that the times changed, and that I can brush it off as mere dust on my shoulders.’

The lion chuckled and looked at the prince. He then smirked, his fangs glowing in the moonlight reflected by the stream. ‘If I beat you in a duel, will you then let me address you as a comrade?’

‘It doesn’t have to come that way,’ the prince nervously backed off, and the lion found it amusing. He chuckled and the prince laughed nervously until the lion ceased to do so. The lion then looked at the stream again, as if he was deeply contemplating on something. ‘If we become close friends instead of colleagues then we might be able to agree on something.’

The prince then glanced at his watch. It read, ‘18:00. 21 July 2152.’

The lion noticed the prince’s movements and looked at him. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘It is 18:00, and we must return.’

‘Can’t we just enjoy this more? Stop with your thoughts of duties and sense of insecurity. I am here, and isn’t my job to keep you safe?’

‘I want to eat supper now!’ the prince exclaimed which made the lion laugh heartily. They both stood up and found their way home. 


	2. Ideas and Ideals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Johann and Set shared dinner together, and the two talked about the problems plaguing their lives. Johann suggested over coffee to, as much as possible, maintain the native way of life and make it easier for them to live within the Soviet Union. Set proposed for the full withdrawal of Soviet soldiers. Then they talked about their lives. After which, Prince Johann's instincts as a dog took over.

The two returned to the palace in silence. There was an aura of awkwardness around them that neither of them could find the right moment or right disposition to talk. The prince walked with his tail between his legs, as if he was defeated at a fight. The lion was firmly fixated on the door to the palace.

The prince hastened his pace, counted mentally as if he was marching. ‘God, help me,’ he thought to himself, looked at the lion’s blue eyes, and looked back when the lion reciprocated his eye contact. ‘Almost there,’ he thought as he walked up the marble stairs. The footman opened the French doors for both of them, and he greeted them with a minuscule bow of respect. A butler came to the side of the prince.

‘Sir, we have prepared dinner, and now we only wait for your arrival,’ the old wolf said to the prince and guided him to the dining room. ‘Your Highness, you were out for quite some while. Was there any difficulty?’

‘No, actually, I spent time with my bodyguard. One must be there to build professional relationships, especially when he is around at your side for a lot of times,’ the prince replied, and the butler nodded in approval. The butler pulled the prince and his bodyguard a seat and sat at his appropriate place. ‘Very well, I hope dinner hasn’t gone cold.’

‘It has not, your Highness,’ the butler confirmed. The household was present at the dining table, and the footmen then served the appetisers. For appetisers, there were bread and cheese, salads, and marbled potatoes. Once the prince was finished eating his appetiser, the footmen came and took everything away.

The lion looked at the footmen with a glare. ‘They shouldn’t take the food until we’re finished!’ he exclaimed, which earned him the attention of the household and the footmen. The footmen stopped in their tracks and watched.

‘That is the protocol. It is how it is,’ the butler calmly replied.

‘Bring it back, only change the course when we all are through with it. It is fine by me, I should’ve eaten slower, but I am sure that it would be an absolute waste of perfectly good food if all weren’t able to finish it,’ the prince intervened, and to this, the lion smiled. ‘Please, bring it back.’

The footmen nodded and brought everyone their plates of appetiser back. From the kitchen came forth a cart with the first course. They were all covered as to prevent insects from tarnishing it, and to prevent it from getting cold sooner. As soon as everyone had finished their appetiser course, some of the footmen took it, and the others took the first course. They swapped the plates, and once there was no more food on the cart, they put the washables onto there and the scraps onto a mobile bin.

‘How are you enjoying yourself?’ the prince looked at the lion with a smile.

‘This… thing is great! Is this cow?’

‘Well, yes. It is prime rib, and I think it is wonderful.’

‘We just roast these above an open fire, but of course, those were the days,’ the lion reminisced briefly as he took another serving into his maw. The prince wagged his tail and smiled. ‘I must say you have better food than we had.’

‘We all have our tastes, and I must say, I have not tried any from your delicacies yet. I must do when I have the time, and the circumstances allow me to explore your culinary side. For now, we only have these and after we all are through…’ the prince turned to the butler and tilted his head. ‘How many courses were prepared?’

‘An appetiser course, the first course, and the dessert course,’ the butler replied.

‘Very well, as I had expected,’ the prince smiled and turned back to the lion. ‘Yes, as I was saying, you will be trying out some desserts from Earth that I am particularly fond of. I had asked for only these courses because a second and third course seems fitting only for special occasions.’

‘Isn’t every day a special occasion?’ the lion smirked and was expecting for the prince’s reply to be more exuberant and extravagant.

‘No,’ the prince answered firmly. ‘That would be too costly, too wasteful, and I am not thoroughly debauched to have my staff cook a five-course dinner daily. This occasion is slightly special as I have found it within myself to order a three-course dinner. Enjoy this until we have guests of importance, or I felt it again to be less prudent.’

‘What a prude!’ the lion scoffed jokingly, and the prince held a strained smile reeking of anger before he realised it was all done in the name of entertainment. The two laughed, and so did the household.

The prince then turned to the butler. ‘Dessert could now be served.’

The butler nodded and told the footman who was waiting at the door to the kitchen. He disappeared for a short while before coming back with a variety of desserts – ice cream, muffins, rice cakes, and cassava cakes.

‘That smell is…’ the lion purred, and the prince stared at him intently, mentally laughing at how adorable this tall and intimidating lion seemed. One could say he has been infatuated with him, smitten at his looks.

‘Is what?’

‘It is great…’ he kept on purring. The prince chuckled at the lion’s reaction being served with desserts. He knew full well it was foreign for him, and he might not find it amusing. He sighed and thought he should at least taste these delicacies which were so familiar to him. The prince took the first serving of banana split and handed a serving for the lion. He gave the lion a spoon to scoop the ice cream and to consume the dessert.

The lion shivered. ‘It’s freezing…’ he muttered and placed the spoon down on the napkin. ‘Is this just snow? Why does it have a sweet taste? And what is this yellow thing that looks like my dick?’

‘Okay, sir, you have gone too far with the descriptions,’ the butler intervened, and Prince Johann chuckled at his comparisons. At the same time, he was internally flustered as he pictured the lion’s possibly large member.

‘Gods…’ the prince muttered under his breath, and lion noticed.

‘What?’ he looked at the prince, and the prince sprung up from his seat.

‘My, my… please do enjoy yourselves, and I must excuse myself to the water closet,’ the prince fixed his chair, and hastily paced out of the dining room. He took the closest bathroom he could find and opened the faucet on the sink. He cupped his hands and doused his face in the water. He looked up to the mirror and saw his reflection staring back at himself. He blinked a few times, and he uttered to himself. ‘What have I done?!’

He stayed in the bathroom for a few more moments, then he took the towel nearby. He dried his face and allowed his fur to settle down lest he looked puffed up. After fixing himself, he encountered Set walking from the dining room. He saw the prince and waved at him, and the prince approached him. ‘I had yours put in the… refrigerator?’

‘Ah, yes,’ the prince smiled and patted the lion’s shoulder. The prince’s tail was wagging frantically, and he chucked before walking towards the stairs. ‘I think I shall retire to the withdrawing room for a while. You are welcome to come if you’d wish. The air is more pleasant there,’ he then turned around and walked up the flight of stairs to the withdrawing room. As soon as he arrived, he opened the windows to let the fresh Scalician air in. It was virtually untouched and free from pollution.

He took a big breath and exhaled, along with the stresses and the problems of modern-day life, or so he thought. He looked outside and to the shore. He then realised the beauty was ephemeral, one day the horizon he saw would be dominated by the grey-and-blue skyscrapers of modernity, of progress it seemed.

He stayed that way for half-an-hour, looking outside and staring into the distance. He was deep in thought that time had passed by, and only the knock from the door brought him to the outside world. He turned around, astonished, and responded, ‘Who is there?’

The door opened and Set shown his face, calm and stoic. ‘It’s just me, your highness,’ he answered with a smile and entered the room. He closed the door behind him and sat down on the couch. ‘I see you’re enjoying the air.’

‘Well, the air is fresh. It is so rare that I could breathe in the air of unparalleled quality. There is always the problem of pollution…’

‘Pollution?’

‘We have what we call factories and power plants. We do not make all things by hand anymore, but they are mass-produced in factories big and small, for all. Let’s say, your sword? If it was mass-produced in a factory, you could expect that it would be the same for all. Your sword would be the same as my sword.’

‘Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of the sword? It should be tailored to the user; my sword would be unwieldy for you because you fight differently than I do. It would be unbalanced, or too heavy, or too slow for someone your size.’

‘Compromise, my friend, compromise.’

‘You cannot compromise with characteristics.’

‘Not for all, and do I have to remind you how we got here?’ the prince looked into Set’s eyes, reminding him of his civilisation’s technological superiority. ‘Due to this, I can guarantee you, that no man will have to work for everything to get nothing.’

‘What do you mean? People always work for everything, and they can get anything. That is how it works, even in what you call Mathematics. We all have to work for something, and that something will serve as the fruits which we all consume.’

‘That is not the case for us anymore. Some people were liberated from farming and worked in the factories. They, along with other key roles, keep society running. They produce a lot, cheaply and for cheap. Tell me, Set, how often do you eat meat then?’

‘When it was hunting season, or when we had a lot preserved.’

‘Not a lot, then?’

‘No, not a lot. Plus, the vegetables we grew were enough for all of us. Meat is a luxury that is reserved for special occasions and only so. It was a gift given by the gods, and we must not slaughter their animals for our pleasure.’

‘Tough luck, but I eat meat every day. It is because of these factories that I am talking about. They made luxuries commodities, I can eat decent meats, cheeses and others. Furthermore, the furniture you see around you were made in factories, and it is why I possess a lot of them. You don’t have to toil a whole year for something to eat. Just, go out and buy it in the supermarket.’

‘Extravagant… I don’t think I can handle such extravagance and decadence.’

‘Set, it is the future! I told you, so! Look at how many lives would be changed with the access to these once luxuries-turned commodities,’ he took Set’s hand into his own and caressed the back of them. ‘No more children that would suffer famines, less suffering for everyone! Mothers no longer have to worry if their young would survive into adulthood. Set, how lucky you were that the time you lived in brings massive change!’

‘What massive change? What would this mean for my people?’

‘It means a lot… Set do you trust me?’ the prince turned and went back to the window. He sighed and rested his head on his hand, staring out into the distance. The lion went beside the prince and looked at him. ‘Do you trust me?’

‘Fine… I do.’

‘I need it because even though I would do things that might or might not be questionable to you, I still need your trust. I wanted to have someone, at least someone, who believes in what I do. Someone to back me, and trust in me that I would do good. I don’t want your people to live hard lives for millennia, I want them to live the life we live now – as free men.’

‘How would you do it? How would you make them free? I don’t need your factories, or your markets, I want our freedom from the Soviet yoke. I want to secure our lives, and return them to our hands.’

‘Set, that is the point. If you want self-determination, if you want freedom then you have to find yourself on equal footing. I have said, you do not fight with a knife against someone who wields a gun. That is sheer stupidity, and I cannot have your people be exterminated in something that they believe rightfully belongs to them!’

‘Then tell me, man! How would you do it? I want to know…’ the lion slammed his fist at the windowsill, and walked back to the room. He slumped at the couch and clutched his head. ‘I am frustrated, okay? I am sorry if I keep on acting like this.’

‘I understand how frustrated you can be. I truly don’t mind it at all, and I sincerely and genuinely understand your frustrations. All I ask of you is to trust in me, and as much as possible, help me in this. I need your help, as much as you want liberty, and to help, we must cooperate.’

The lion sighed removed his boots. He laid down at the couch, being comfortable with the pillows against his back. ‘Let us do so, then.’

‘I wanted to bring our ideas here, so we can utilise it. No matter what we do, no matter how we do it, without these things I am speaking of, we will lose to them. They can outproduce us, outnumber us, and outsmart us. I mean no offence in what I will say next, but it is the reason why you lost to them. Yes, I said, ‘them.’

‘Them? The Soviets? Why don’t you include yourself? Aren’t you the agent of destruction, the one who shall execute their will to the poor people such as us?’

‘No, I simply act in what I see is right. If I were their agent, then I would’ve authorised you being rounded up, sent to camps, and executed. You are no livestock; you are not cattle. You are Lerjehor, and you have the wondrous ability to think and to reason. That is enough to make yourselves equal to my standing.’

The lion’s face suddenly changed to a smile, and he sat up. ‘That is the best thing you have said in quite a while.’

‘Pardon me… I…’

The lion hushed the prince and stood up. He walked towards him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder. ‘I just don’t want to hurt my people more… I think the best step for you to undertake is to have Soviet troops withdraw, and stop pestering my people.’

The prince nervously chuckled and looked at the lion. ‘That was one of my plans. I know they have been oppressive, and I also despise them. Do you think that it would do good to keep them here? I think not, and the service they rendered has been due. It is time for them to leave, and for a fairer system to take place.’

The lion smiled and patted the prince on the head. ‘I am sorry for misjudging you, but I hope you will follow on what you will say. Anyways, it is nice to have talks like this now and then… it was my mistake that I misjudged your kind, and especially you.’

‘I take no offence, and yes, I will follow with what I promised,’ the prince then went and stood by a coffee brewer in the room. ‘Tell me, Set, have you had coffee in your life?’ the prince was smiling as he took coffee grounds, and placed them on the filter.

‘I had some before, yes,’ the lion turned back and went to the couch. ‘Sir, I can do that for you, if you please,’ he positioned himself ready to respond and to do the prince’s work.

‘I thank you for your attention, but I can do this on my own,’ he stood by the coffee brewer, waiting for the water to heat up, and dispense coffee. After a few moments, few drips of coffee came dripping down, and the prince decided to prepare the necessary additives – milk, sugar and creamer. ‘By the way,’ he said as he reached for the jar of sugar. ‘You can call me Johann in private, of course.’

‘Johann it is then,’ the lion smiled and watched as the short dog reached the jar of sugar and placed it on a tray, along with the jars of creamer and milk. ‘Why do you have three names and you use only one?’

‘Ease… and for the first question, ask my mum,’ Johann laughed and brought the tray to the coffee table in front of the lion. He then brought the jar of the freshly-brewed coffee and placed it on the tray. Then he took two cups, and he finally sat down on the couch beside the lion. ‘How about you? Do you feel comfortable if I call you Set, instead of La’atset?’

The lion nodded and poured coffee for himself and the prince. ‘Some people do call me Set, instead of La’atset. Do you know what La’atset means in the Lerjehori tongue?’

‘No, I don’t know. Do tell me, I would love to hear it!’

‘Should I tell you a story then?’

The prince nodded and when he added the right amount of sugar, creamer and milk, he spoke, ‘Yes, I would love to hear a good story. What is it about?’ his ears perked up, and his tail wagged, brushing the couch.

‘Well, it is about my birth… so here it goes,’ Set took a breath and sighed, looked at Johann and then stared at the black liquid in his cup. ‘La’atset means ‘sky-given’ and came from the word for sky, ‘La’at.’

‘Why were you named ‘Sky-given?’ Prince Johann looked at Set with utmost curiosity.

‘It was because of an omen. The sky had clouds that were interpreted as I guess a boon for my family. Then when the elder proved it, I was born. They named me after the omens that predated my birth. I could say it was true because I became a successful warrior until you came here.’

‘You are still successful, I mean… you haven’t died yet, so that is a plus.’

‘I guess you could say that… how about you? What does your name mean?’

‘I do not know… Johann Ascal Ludwig Balagtas,’ the prince grunted and sighed. ‘My surname has more meaning than my first, I believe so… Ascalsky von Preußen und zu Baden. It goes back to the old times when my family was called Ascalsky, to hide our origin from the Russians. I just happened to be born in the right branch which married into the Prussian royal family that lived in Baden, hence, von Preußen und zu Baden… ‘of Prussia and at Baden.’

‘Sounds good, we don’t have those surnames… we just get a name or two, and that’s it,’ the lion added and imitated Johann’s addition of sugar, creamer, and milk to his coffee. He noticed the liquid turned from black to brown with the addition of milk. ‘This seems good enough.’

‘Would you like me to give you a surname? I should add that the presence of ‘von’ usually indicates nobility and high status,’ he chuckled as he thought of something immature. ‘I couldn’t call you Mr von Preußen because you need to be married to me or whoever in my family.’

The lion laughed and looked at Johann. ‘You said ‘von’ meant ‘of’, right?’ Set said with certainty in his tone. The prince nodded as an answer to his inquiry, and he proceeded to continue, ‘I guess, I could take the name La’atset von Sardenien.’

‘That’s it!’ Johann exclaimed with ecstasy, ‘Would you take German given names?’

‘I think that would be too far,’ Set chuckled and patted the prince on the head again. ‘La’atset von Sardenien it is.’

‘You enjoy patting me on the head, do you?’

‘Well… your hair is soft and enjoyable to touch,’ the lion replied and rubbed him on the head. This made the prince wag and pant uncontrollably. ‘You’re weird, you know that?’

‘I am a dog! That’s what happens…’ the prince groaned as he kept on wagging, and began to bark playfully. ‘They are… ugh… instincts,’ the prince then laid on his back, exposing his chest and abdomen.

‘Why did you lie down?’

‘Oh, gods… no!’ he then shot back up and took his cup of coffee. ‘You should drink yours before it gets cold,’ he then took a sip of coffee, watching as Set did the same. The lion then clicked his tongue a few times, trying to savour the taste.

‘I probably put too much stuff, because it is too sweet.’

‘Reduce the sugar next time.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are different races in this lore. There are humans and generally, the anthro race. Prinz Johann and Set belong to different sets of the anthro race. In the 2130s, the Soviet Union took to the stars and began the colonisation of what would be the planet Concordia Magna. Due to this, the Soviets quickly uplifted the natives through force, and some like Prinz Johann uplifted the natives through mass education.


End file.
